Will This Year Be Your Best Yet? How to Stay on Track with Leadership Goals in 2016

By now, you’ve probably already fallen off the bandwagon on one of your New Year’s resolutions. Or perhaps that was just me. At any rate, it is not too late for us to make this year our best year yet! As marketplace practitioners, we must strive to be intentional in living our faith out at work. These five tips, while not all-inclusive, will help you make sure you are on track to start your New Year off right.

Set bold goals. The Bible is full of examples of leaders who set goals much bigger than their talents or experience. As you look at the past year and ahead into this year, are you thinking big enough about your work? We serve a powerful God. Reflect his power in your workplace as you seek God’s calling in your work.

Get a mentor and a mentee. Most of us acknowledge the need for a mentor, but how many of us are earnestly praying for and seeking out a mentee to pour into? I challenge you to make this the year you have both a mentor and a mentee. These relationships are transformational for both you and the individuals you partner with. God will speak to you like never before when you have both of these key relationships in your life.

Commit to pray for your work every day. It’s hard to say you have closed the gap between your faith and work if you are not earnestly inviting God into your work each day. Pray over your calendar, tasks, co-workers, boss, team, customers, vendors, etc. Ask for favor. Ask for wisdom. Pray for your enemies at work. This is a powerful tool that we each must be using to be an effective marketplace practitioner.

Create a professional development plan. We must be committed to growing. Do not wait for your employer to do this for you. You have to own your professional development. I have seen the devastating effects of leaders who think they have arrived and quit trying to grow professionally. Their leadership regresses, they lose the commitment of their team, and they eventually lose their jobs. Remain hungry to be the best at your position while looking for opportunities to learn new skills or the latest trends. Your business sector is constantly evolving and changing. Are you keeping up or will you be left behind?

Use your time off. God created work and he also created rest. Work is good but if it is our sole focus, it will deplete our energy and passion leading to burnout. Think about how you can bemore intentional with your time off this year. Perhaps you need to take that trip you’ve always wanted to take. Take a day to volunteer in your community. Start a new hobby or pick up the one you’ve been neglecting. God has blessed you with that PTO and is calling you to use it for his glory. Seek his direction and be obedient.

This year still has the potential to be your best year yet. Which one of these areas spoke most to you and how do you plan to do better this year? Email me and let me know. As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another. I would love to pray for you and encourage you as you make this year your best year yet. To God be the glory!